Title :
Numerical simulation of ultra-compact electro-optic modulator based on nanoscale plasmon metal gap waveguides
Author :
Inoue, Shin-ichiro ; Yokoyama, Shiyoshi
Author_Institution :
Inst. for Mater. Chem. & Eng., Kyushu Univ., Fukuoka, Japan
Abstract :
An ultra-compact Mach-Zehnder (MZ) electro-optic (EO) modulator composed of nanoscale metal gap waveguides is numerically demonstrated. Propagation of surface plasmon polaritons in nano-size channels and their EO modulations is investigated by the finite-difference time-domain method considering the Lorentz-Drude model. The half-wave voltage (V pi) of the resulting MZ modulator for push-pull operation is 1.73 V using the interference arm with a sub-micron length (500-nm).
Keywords :
electro-optical modulation; finite difference time-domain analysis; integrated optics; nanophotonics; optical waveguides; polaritons; surface plasmons; Lorentz-Drude model; Mach-Zehnder modulator; electro-optic modulation; electro-optic modulator; finite-difference time-domain method; half-wave voltage; nanoscale metal gap waveguides; nanosize channels; optical component integration; plasmon waveguides; push-pull operation; size 500 nm; surface plasmon polariton propagation; ultracompact modulator;
Journal_Title :
Electronics Letters
DOI :
10.1049/el.2009.1578
